Air Freight Demand Achieves Strongest Growth

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released full-year 2017 data for global air freight markets showing that demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres, grew by nine percent, more than double the 3.6 percent annual growth recorded in 2016.

Freight capacity, measured in available freight tonne kilometres, rose by three percent in 2017. This was the slowest annual capacity growth seen since 2012. Demand growth outpaced capacity growth by a factor of three.

Air cargo's strong performance in 2017 was sealed by a solid result in December. Year-on-year demand growth in December increased 5.7 percent. This was less than half the annual growth rate seen during the middle of 2017, but still well above the five-year average of 4.7 percent. Freight capacity grew by 3.3 percent year-on-year in December.